Okra
In the cotton family (Malvaceae), okra originated in West Africa and was brought to the Americas with the slave trade.
Nutrition
One serving of okra (10 pods) weighs 106 g, and has 30 calories, 10 percent RDA Vitamin A and 35 percent RDA Vitamin C.
Life cycles and monitoring and control practices for some of the common insect pests in the southern United States are described in Integrated Pest Management. Some of the important diseases of vegetables in the South and their control a re described in Disease Management.
Thrips can attack okra in the seedling and early juvenile stages, delaying crop development. Many pests (flea beetles, Japanese beetles, cucumber beetles, corn earworms) can sometimes be found on older okra plants, but, except for aphids, these insects rarely reach economic threshold levels.
Okra is susceptible to southern stem rot and to both Verticillium and Fusarium wilts. Cercospera leaf spot and powdery mildew may appear when plants start to decline at the end of the season. The application of fungicides is usually not economically justified. Botrytis flower blight can be a serious problem in dense canopies. Choanephora rot of blossoms and pods can cause severe problems when plants are spaced closely with poor air circulation. Improving air circulation is the only effective control of this disease. In extreme cases, growers sometimes remove the lower juvenile leaves to improve air circulation. Okra is also susceptible to the root knot nematode.
Move directly to: Table of Contents
Last Modified: Thursday, October 4, 2001